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What conditions are the most favourable for microbial food production? -…
What conditions are the most favourable for microbial food production?
Temperature
Generally increasing temp. will increase enzyme activity
Generally a decrease in temp. will decrease enzyme activity
If temp. gets too high then enzyme activity will diminish and the protein (enzyme) will denature.
As temp. increase, molecules move faster, enzymes speed up metabolism and cells rapidly increase in size.
Bacteria are rapidly killed at around 65 degrees Celsius - World Health Organization (WHO)
optimal temp. for bacteria is 25 - 40 degrees Celsius
Light
In light bacteria take in more organic carbon making them metabolize faster
In the dark these processes are reduced
Light can cause chemical reactions within microbes that harm DNA or the proteins they need to survive
Moisture
A high moisture content decreases rates of organic matter decomposition.
Bacteria needs moisture to grow
Foods that are dehydrated or freeze - dried can be stored for much longer as the moisture has been removed
single-celled bacteria rely of finding enough water in their environment
Food
Foods that are most susceptible to Microbe production
Fish
Meat
Milk
Bread
Most natural foods have a limited life span
Microorganisms are widely used to produce various types of food
pH
Moderate changes in pH can disrupt hydrogen bonding, promoting denaturing
bacteria find low pH unfavorable
The pH of most products varies between 3.5 and 7.0
Very low or very high pH will prevent microbial growth
Microbe
Definition: a microorganism, especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation
May exist in single-celled form or a colony of cells
Major types of Microbes
Bacteria
Archaea
Fungi
Algae
Protozoa
Viruses
Some Microbes can cause infectious diseases e.g flu
Fermentation
Natural process where microorganisms convert carbohydrates into alcohol or acids e.g yeast and sugar
The alcohol or acid act as a natural preservative
Metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes
Defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen